Minister pledges fairness for all

PENSIONS are the hot topic at the moment. But in the Government, they’re also a hot potato which seemingly no one wants to take on. This week JUSTIN HARPER tackled the new secretary of state for Work and Pensions, John Hutton — the fourth minister in just over a year to take up the post — and asked him how he intends to handle the issue. JOHN HUTTON has pledged to put women at the heart of the pensions reforms the Government is planning.

When David Blunkett took over the Department for Work and Pensions in May, he said the way women had been treated, with reduced pensions for taking time off to have children, was a scandal. Mr Hutton says: ‘ Fairness is a big part of our agenda. It’s not acceptable that women who are leaving work to have children and be at home are penalised. Home Responsibilities Protection ( HRP) will smooth this out by 2025, but we are not going to wait 20 years. We want to act now.’

Having been in the job for less than a week, he is still getting to grips with a pensions system many regard as being in disarray. But first, Mr Hutton has two major reports to deal with.

At the end of the month, Pensions Tsar Adair Turner will publish his report into what Britons need to do to solve the impending pensions crisis.

His first report high- Harper, right, puts the questions to John Hutton lighted a number of

thinking company options that may have to

pensions were safe. More be implemented to make

than 70,000 people have sure people retire with a

become victims of company decent income. None of pension schemes these options will be easy

that have wound up leaving to swallow, with working them with next to past retirement, saving

nothing. more into our pensions, or

If the Parliamentary higher taxes to pay for

Ombudsman finds the pensions all possibilities.

Government guilty, it

During our one-to- one,

could trigger huge compensation Mr Hutton tells me: ‘We claims. will need time to reflect on

When I confront Mr the Turner report and will

Hutton on the issue he respond to it next spring.

looks rather vague, but We have to get a national

tells me: ‘We will be prepared consensus on pensions for that report.’ He before we go forward.’

is likely to be given a

I also tackle him on the

crash course in pension climbdown by the Government

wind-ups as a result. on public sector

Pensions campaigner workers’ pensions, with

Ros Altmann says: ‘How only new entrants having

is the Government taking to work until 65, while

this issue seriously with existing employees can

all the changes it is making retire at 60 at tax-payers’ to this vital position? expense. Taking a defensive

They are playing tiddlywinks stance, Mr Hutton with ministers fires back: ‘ You are wrong.

while people are struggling

There are big savings to to survive without be made with new workers

pensions they have been retiring at 65.’

promised.’

Potentially more damaging

As Mr Hutton said with for the Government

typical ministerial understatement: is a report by the Parliamentary ‘This is going Ombudsman

to be a big job for me with into whether the Government

some highly important misled people into

challenges ahead.’